Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on African-American communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed health care disparities with Black Americans experiencing the highest actual COVID-19 mortality rates nationwide—more than twice as high as the rate for white people and Asians (outside Filipino Americans, who have higher rates than African Americans), who have the lowest actual rates.[1] This statistic varies from state to state, in Kansas, black people are seven times more likely to have died than white residents, while in Washington, D.C., the rate among black people is six times as high as it is for white people.[2]

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In Missouri and Wisconsin, it is five times greater. Black people are 13% of the U.S. population that has released COVID-19 mortality data, but they account for 25% of the deaths.[3] South Carolina and Michigan had the largest gaps — 25 points — between the percentage of black people in the population and the percentage of COVID-19 victims who were black, Virginia and North Carolina had the smallest gaps: three points.[4] The impacts of this disease can be seen in this communities diminished health care, and finances.

Health disparities

Essential workers

Around the country black people make up a higher proportion of some low-paid professions that have elevated risks of virus exposure.[5]

Pre-existing conditions

Black Americans are more likely to have diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes — conditions that amplify the severity of COVID-19 than that of White Americans, which is lower, with the exception of lymphoma.[6] Research has shown that not only do black people develop these diseases at a greater rate than white people, they also tend to develop them at a younger age.[7] Medical experts attribute the disproportionate rates of these diseases in black people to higher levels of stress and racial discrimination.[8]

Additionally, many black people live with people who are at high risk for developing serious illness from the COVID-19 because of their age or underlying medical conditions.[9]

Access to health care

Black people are also overrepresented among the uninsured. Consequently they tend to delay seeking treatment and when they do present for care are sicker than white patients.[10] High rates of black households report since the COVID-19 Pandemic, they have been unable to get health care or delayed getting health care.[11] Many say they couldn't find a doctor to see them since the shutdowns, hospitals have delayed or canceled surgical procedures to focus on treating the COVID-19. Black people have reported suffering from a negative health consequence as a result of these delays. When they do seek medical treatment, the moment black people enter the healthcare system, from the most basic forms of diagnostic and treatment interventions, they receive fewer procedures and poorer quality medical care than white people.[12]

Household finances

The COVID-19 pandemic could not have come at a worst time for many families. Pre-pandemic, black people had the highest unemployment rates in the country. African American household earned 59 cents for every dollar white household earned. For every dollar of personal savings that white households have, black households have 10 cents.[13] Black job losses and reduced work hours have been as high as twice that as white people.[14] Black households reported that their personal savings were depleted by the pandemic (if they had any savings to start with) or that they had fallen behind on housing payments or have had problems paying debts and/or utility bills.[15]

Federal support

Federal support for families from the CARES Act has expired and Congress continues to debate the funding many families desperately need. Black people and Latinos were hit especially hard when stay at home orders were put in place as well as social distancing mandates because they are over represented in the leisure and hospitality industries with jobs at hotels, restaurants, retail and construction.[16]

References
  1. "COVID-19 deaths analyzed by race and ethnicity". APM Research Lab. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  2. Sandoiu, Ana (June 5, 2020). "Racial inequalities in COVID-19 — the impact on black communities". Medical News Today. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  3. Sandoui, Ana (June 5, 2020). "Racial inequalities in COVID-19 — the impact on black communities". Medical News Today. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  4. Ollove, Michael (May 27, 2020). "COVID-19 is Crushing black Communities. Some States Are Paying Attention". The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  5. Subbaraman, Nidhi (May 18, 2020). "How to address the coronavirus's outsized toll on people of color". Nature Research. May 18, 2020 (7809): 366. Bibcode:2020Natur.581..366S. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-01470-x. S2CID 218757730.
  6. Sandoiu, Ana (June 5, 2020). "Racial Inequalities in COVID-19, the Impact on Black Communities". Medical News Today. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  7. Cooper, Lisa (February 19, 2020). "Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16: 606. PMC 6406315.
  8. Williams, David (February 19, 2020). "Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (4): 606. doi:10.3390/ijerph16040606. PMC 6406315. PMID 30791452.
  9. Neel, Joe (September 9, 2020). "NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected". National Public Radio. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  10. Urban League, National (August 2020). "State of Black America: COVID 19 By the Numbers" (PDF). State of Black America.
  11. Neel, Joe (September 9, 2020). "NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected". National Public Radio. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  12. Williams, David R. (February 19, 2019). "Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (4): 606. doi:10.3390/ijerph16040606. PMC 6406315. PMID 30791452.
  13. Reserve, Federal (September 2020). "Update on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households: July 2020 Results" (PDF). www.federalreserve.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  14. Jan, Tracey (May 6, 2020). "Hispanics are almost twice as likely as whites to have lost their jobs amid pandemic, poll finds". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  15. Neel, Joe (September 9, 2020). "NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected". National Public Radio. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. Statistics, Bureau of Labor (January 22, 2020). "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey CPS CPS Program Links". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
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